1. Field of the Invention
The present invention discloses an egg orienting and accumulating system used in transporting large numbers of eggs from a central conveying belt into single file lanes, and for subsequent transfer onto spool bars for delivery to such as another conveyor, egg washer application or the like. More specifically, a main forward conveyor is positioned between a pair of outer and reverse directional conveyors, and which are interconnected in order to prevent overflow or ride-up of the eggs as they are transported from the main central belt to a plurality of individual exit lanes which precede egg handling spool bars for directing the eggs to such as the conveyor, washer or other application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Egg orienting, conveying and transferring assemblies are known in the art and which are typically utilized in cooperation with various egg washing, sorting and packing applications. Certain conveying assemblies include such as a forward conveyor utilized in combination with a plurality of communicating and individual egg row establishing lanes, these useful in segregating and communicating sub-pluralities of the eggs delivered by the orienting/conveying device to a downstream location associated with a given egg washing/sorting/packing operation.
A problem associated with existing egg conveying apparatuses is the tendency of a too great plurality of eggs conveyed towards the individual row defining lanes to crowd (or ride up) at the lane defining locations. The resultant logjam increases the incidences of jamming and/or breakage of eggs.
Japanese Abstract Publication No. 2003/206016 teaches an egg aligning device and which includes, in relevant part, a first conveyor with an egg density sensor, and a second successive conveyor arranged on an upstream side of the first conveyor and a control means for controlling a driving speed of the second conveyor based upon an output of the first conveyor sensor. In this manner, a variable control speed of the conveyors is determined.
Additional prior art examples of accumulating or orienting systems include Gross et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,278, Hartness U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,995 and Smith U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,879, each of which incorporates a form of narrowing or lane defining apparatus.